Weight Loss Plan: How An Oklahoma Man Dropped More Than 140 Pounds On A Bet

A $2,000 bet with a friend helped motivate an Oklahoma man to shed over 140 pounds in one year.

Tyler Segraves, a 35-year-old sales representative from Oklahoma City, has gained national attention and a strong social media following for his efforts.

The weight loss began in September 2017 after Segraves and a friend were in the middle of a late night bout of drinking.

"My buddy and I are sitting out, hanging out drinking, having a good time, and he always gives me a hard time about my weight, and we jab back and forth at each other and he said ‘I bet you can’t lose 100 pounds in a year,’" he told KFOR, an NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City.

At the time, Segraves weighed 335 pounds.

A month passed after the pair drew out the terms of the agreement, and Segraves had made no progress. His turnaround moment came during a work trip after he became severely winded while climbing up a set of stairs.

"This is where it has to stop. I draw the line here," he said, describing his determination to change.

Segraves proceeded to cut out alcohol, carbs, and soda from his diet and created his own modified Keto diet, short for "ketogenic diet," which calls for low-carb intake and digesting foods high in fat, which forces the body to burn body fat instead of carbs.

Sticking to his plan, Segraves lost 30 pounds in a month. Spurred on by his initial weight loss, Segraves was resolute in his decision to keep losing weight and ultimately win the bet.

"Once I saw the weight come off, that’s what I craved. I was like ‘I want to weigh in again and see,’" he explained.

One month before the bet deadline, Segraves had shed over 100 pounds. He continued to lose weight despite offering his friend an $800 buyout a month before the deadline.

Segraves also recounted a time he ran into his parents at a gas station and they didn’t recognize him.

"I saw [my dad] at the gas station, and I ended up buying his coffee and he’s like, ‘What, oh! You’re my son!’ And, I was like, ‘Yeah, dad, what are you talking about?’"

After dropping over 140 pounds, Segraves weighed in at around 195.

"It’s been really cool," Segraves said of his experience. "I think it’s helped some people, so that’s kind of the point of the whole thing."

Despite the conclusion of the bet, the Oklahoma man is going strong, focusing now on muscle development through lifting weights and swimming.

Since his weight loss, Segraves and his story have been featured in Men’s Health and by local Oklahoma City media. He also frequently get questions on social media about ways to lose weight.

Segraves had previously received attention from ESPN and USA Today for his strong fan support of the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys. His Facebook page reads: Tyler OsuFreak Segraves. People warm up before going for a walk in a park near Naron, Spain on September 13, 2018. Tyler Seagraves, a 35-year-old Oklahoma man, lost 141 pounds after his friend bet him $2000 that he couldn’t. Photo: MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images

Carmen Clayton

Spent two years building mannequins in Washington, DC. Spent a weekend managing sauerkraut in the UK. In 2008 I was investing in birdhouses in Deltona, FL. Practiced in the art of training Uno in Edison, NJ. Spent 2002-2008 supervising the production of muffins in Los Angeles, CA.